1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in a saddle type vehicle in which a swing type power unit having an engine and a rear wheel is swingably provided on a body frame.
2. Description of Background Art
A saddle type vehicle in which a swing type power unit is swingably provided on a body frame is known. See, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-341575, FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7 of Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-341575, in a rear end portion of a main frame section (27) (a parenthesized numeral indicates a reference symbol used in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-341575, here and hereafter) a tubular rubber support section (31), and an arm (52) is inserted in the rubber support section (31) through a stopper rubber (53). A link member (46) is mounted to the arm (52) through an outer tube (47), and a link shaft (45) is swingably supported on a rearward end portion of the link member (46) through a turning tube (44). An inner tube (48) is coaxially provided inside the outer tube (47), with a rubber bush therebetween, and a pivot (51) is inserted in the inner tube (48).
In the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-341575, the pivot (51) is disposed rearwardly of the main frame section (27).
When the pivot (51) is thus disposed rearwardly of the main frame section (27), the vehicle length is increased by the distance by which the pivot (51) is displaced rearwardly from the main frame section (27).
It is desirable, in saddle type vehicles in which a swing type power unit is swingably supported, to provide a technology by which the vehicle length can be shortened.